This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 24816/2000, filed on Jan. 28, 2000 in Japan. The contents of the aforementioned application are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell power generation system and, in particular, to a fuel cell power generation system provided with a reformer generating hydrogen from a base fuel such as alcohol, gasoline or the like so as to supply hydrogen to a fuel cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
Previously, the present Assignee developed, as a system that can compensate a delay in the response of a reformer, one provided with a hydrogen reservoir for storing hydrogen from the reformer as fuel cell assisting hydrogen.
However, in this system, when hydrogen is to be stored in the hydrogen reservoir, all hydrogen from the reformer flows through the hydrogen reservoir and hydrogen which is not stored in this hydrogen reservoir is supplied to the fuel cell. Therefore, there was a possibility that the hydrogen supply amount to the fuel cell may not meet with the amount of the hydrogen required for the fuel cell corresponding to the fuel cell operation state.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel cell power generation system wherein a fuel cell is supplied with hydrogen by priority, and thus the system can always meet with the amount of hydrogen required for the fuel cell corresponding to the fuel cell operation state.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fuel cell power generation system comprising a reformer generating hydrogen from a base fuel to supply a fuel cell with hydrogen, and a hydrogen reservoir connected to a first supply conduit between the reformer and the fuel cell through a second supply conduit, for storing hydrogen from the reformer as assisting hydrogen for the fuel cell, wherein a distributing valve for distributing hydrogen from the reformer to the fuel cell side and the hydrogen reservoir side is provided at a connecting portion of the first and second supply conduits, and the distributing valve is controlled to satisfy an amount of the hydrogen required for the fuel cell and, thus, to supply the hydrogen reservoir with remaining hydrogen.
According to the adoption of the aforementioned system, the hydrogen supply to the fuel cell is carried out by priority over the hydrogen supply to the reservoir, thereby satisfying always the amount of the hydrogen required for the fuel cell corresponding to the fuel cell operation state.
The aforementioned objects and other objects, features and advantages according to the present invention will be understood more obviously by reading the following description of the preferred embodiment referring to the attached drawings.